Tag: nostalgia

This week Mel colored the Bigfoot. The first thing that came to mind was “Grape Ape.” If you’re younger than thirty, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about. Raise your hand if you do. I’d love to know. Mel is 23 and she had never heard of him. I pulled him up on YouTube and explained that he’s a purple gorilla who was sort of like a goofy super hero.

“Lame. That’s stupid, Mom.” She left the office to go eat lunch.

Lame. He’s not lame. He’s iconic. After she left, Youtube sucked me into this portal of the best 80’s children program intro’s. Talk about a walk down memory lane. This took me back to Saturday morning cartoons. I would get up early before anyone else, take my blanket, pillow, a bowl of cereal to the living room, and sit on the floor in front of the TV. (I had to do that to reach the knob on the television. We never had a fancy remote control).

Watching those replays was like a blast of comfort from the past. My childhood wasn’t all that great, but early Saturday mornings were fun. After school cartoons were okay, but it wasn’t the same. You didn’t get to see the newest Scooby Doo, Justice League, or Shazam shows at that time. Plus, if you lived on a farm, like me, there was a ton of work after school.

I’d heard of Disney channel, had “rich” friends who subscribed, but it wasn’t until after I married and subscribed to cable that I was able to enjoy this network. When my kids came along, we added Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. I was a little disheartened they wouldn’t know the enjoyment of early Saturday morning cartoons. To talk about it, they can’t imagine waiting an entire week to see their favorite show.

To be honest, I sometimes feel the same way as I binge watch a series. I guiltily sit for hours devouring the entertainment when I could be reading or working. Ultimately, I reason that it’s more efficient to binge watch because I do it when I have the time. There’s no set schedule I have to follow which would otherwise interrupt my workflow.

Still, it’s fun to pause, put on a YouTube video and reflect on pleasant times. When the mind can isolate for a moment and pinpoint a source of joy from the past, it brightens the present. Even if only for a moment.

Try it. Here’s The Grape Ape.

Have you seen the Grape Ape?

If you watched Saturday morning cartoons, what were some of your favorites?

Do you have a favorite cartoon now?

I also just want to briefly mention that we’re giving away free sticker packs to the first five people who sign up for our newsletter this month. (Sign up on the home page). This is what the stickers look like, except they’re cut to shape: